New Bloomington PD info website available

On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 7:31 PM, Karen Schmidt wrote:

Last evening many neighborhood watch representatives came together at the police department for an update on issues that our neighborhoods are dealing with. A new online service from the BPD was featured, highlighting daily activity reports for many events that our officers deal with. Your can find it at the address listed below. You can check daily and they also have it set up as an RSS feed as well, so if you subscribe to feeds via Google, Bloglines, etc., you can get these automatically (if you are not familiar with RSS feeds, let me know, I'm happy to help you get one set up - but warning! they can be addictive!)

http://www.cityblm.org/page.asp?show=section&id=11186&menuid=11186

Please check out other regular reports that are listed on the BPD web site: www.cityblm.org. Go to Departments and then Police to see what all is offered up to us as citizens. They are working hard to provide good information.

Karen


@@@@
Karen Schmidt
Alderman, Ward 6
City of Bloomington

Random "attack" under Constitution Trail bridge on Emerson

"She was hit in the head from behind and knocked to the ground before being hit a couple of more times, police said."

Read this Pantagraph story to learn more . . .

Chimney Inspection/Cleaning

I am trying to get an idea of how many people are planning on getting their wood burning chimneys cleaned and/or inspected this Fall. It's possible that if we can get enough people from the block to get cleanings that we would qualify for some kind of discount. Please contact me as soon as possible to let me know if you are interested. I plan on calling sometime next week to inquire, but I need to have an idea of how many people are included.

Thanks,

Dave Hogenson (28)
828-2237

White Place Directories

Watch for directories in your mailbox . . .they'll be going out tomorrow night or Saturday. Thanks!

Neighborhood Watch

• I spoke with Dave White of the Bloomington Police Department today about starting a Neighborhood Watch. His suggestion is that we begin with a small (core) group of people from various locations in our neighborhood first. I have set a date with him for Monday, September 16th at 7:30pm. After this first meeting, we will hold a larger neighborhood meeting with Officer White and all residents we can get to participate. If you are able to attend this first meeting to get things going, or have suggestions of others who might not read the blog... please let me know ASAP. You can call me (Caryn Davis, #57) at 261-5478, or email me at carynbdavis@yahoo.com

Consititution Trail News

There have been quite a few stories in the press recently about crimes being committed on Constitution Trail. Here's one, where a man was attacked by 4 juveniles just off of Vernon Avenue.

To calm concerns, the man found dead recently on the trail appears to have died from a heart attack. He collapsed on Monday afternoon just north of the Emerson Street bridge. Unfortunately, it sounds like he was in obvious need of help but didn't get it in time.

It probably goes without saying, but if you see people in the neighborhood or on the trail, look them in the eyes, say hi to them and smile. You never know who you're being friendly to or how they'll respond. Let's stick together and keep our neighborhood friendly!

Town Hall Meeting on Juvenile Crime

The City of Bloomington has scheduled a Town Hall Meeting to address concerns about juvenile crime. The meeting will be held on Thursday, September 4, 2008 at 6:00 pm in the Bloomington City Hall Council Chambers (109 E. Olive Street).

The meeting, the third of a series, will be open to public questions.

The Town Hall Meeting will touch on the various roles of juvenile crime prevention and enforcement: starting with one’s self, the community, the victim, the police, prosecution, courts, detention, and state legislation. The major emphasis of this meeting will be on enforcement.

Representatives from several agencies will be present at the meeting to explain the process: McLean County States Attorney’s Office, McLean County Court Services, McLean County Juvenile Detention Center, Bloomington Police Department, and Bloomington public school districts. Local state legislators, who make the laws regarding juvenile justice, have also been invited.

White's Place Break-in/Neighborhood Watch

This just in . . .Caryn sent me a note from the north end and shared that Laura's home (#59) was broken into last night and had quite a few large and expensive things stolen. It sounds like this happened in broad daylight -- and on a busy street!

Caryn asked if I could post this message and let the neighborhood know . . .she'll be contacting Dave White from the Bloomington Police Department to have him come to a meeting and to discuss starting a formal Neighborhood Watch program. (Here's a pdf brochure on what the Neighborhood Watch program can do for our neighborhood)

Thanks!

Catherine Gronemeier's brother

Catherine Gronemeier's (#22) brother, Kevin O'Malley, passed away in Seattle, WA early this morning (August 27, 2008). Cathy was able to be in Seattle with him since August 17th. Services will be held this weekend in Chicago, IL.

Hot August Nights Reminder - Saturday, 8/23

From the Pantagraph.com:

Hot August Nights-A Taste of Downtown Bloomington will feature local restaurants and entertainment from noon to 11 p.m. downtown. Includes a Light the Road 5K Race & Walk; a run or power walk through the city's center at 8 a.m. to benefit OSF Home Care's Hospice Division. Sign-up information is at www.pantagraph.com/lighttheroad. A Kids' Alley with family activities/entertainment is throughout the day. A Lighting of the Luminaries ceremony in honor of loved ones will be in the evening at Festival Park in the Cultural District. Visit www.downtownbloomington.org.

White Place Block Party

The annual White Place Block Party is Saturday, August 16, starting around 5:00 pm. This year it will be in the boulevard, south of University Street. South-enders, bring out your grills and tables!

Everyone, bring your lawn chairs, meat to grill for your family, table service for your family and a dish/dessert to share. The Association will provide soft drinks, beer and snacks. Feel free to invite family and friends as well.

As is our custom, we will be block motorized traffic from University to Empire Street by order of the City of Bloomington, so kids can ride bikes and literally go play in the street. The barriers will be taken down around 9:00 pm.

For those new to the street, or who haven't joined the fun, it's a great way to meet your neighbors, have a lot of fun and still be moments from home.

Come join the fun!

White's Place Directory Reminder (Part II)

Sally Emmert has been working hard on our new White's Place Directory. She has made considerable progress and will get it out as soon as possible. We wanted to give the neighborhood one more chance to complete the questionnaires for entry into the directory. So if you would like to be included, please contact Sally (#29). General homeowner info from previous directories will be used in the current edition if there isn't a new questionnaire completed. If, for some reason, you would like to be excluded from the directory please notify The Emmerts #29 or The Hogensons #28.

Thanks!

Old East Side Meeting

Concerned about noise, garage, graffiti, and abandoned properties? What can caring neighbors do about it? Come to Heritage Manor to be part of a neighborhood meeting, starting at 6:30 pm on Thursday, August 7th.

City officials will address our concerns and answer questions. Mark Huber, Director of Planning and Code Enforcement, will address concerns about property maintenance. Our Shift Supervisor and our Area Patrol Officer, Bloomington Police Department, will talk to us about law enforcement issues.

Contact Information: Susan Baker, 829-1581 or Marty Seigel, 829-2283

Hearts at Home break-in

Hearts at Home, located at 1509 N. Clinton Blvd just north of Emerson, was broken into earlier this week. The building was vandalized and several things were stolen.

Be on the look-out for strangers in the area!

White's Place Directory Reminder

Hello Everyone,

Just a quick reminder, if you haven't already done so, to complete your household's directory information. We have extended the deadline for the questionnaires to this Sunday July 20th due to very few being completed at this time. Please return them to Sally Emmert (#29) as soon as you can!

If you have lost yours or are in need of another form they are available from Sally Emmert. Otherwise this is a great way to meet neighbors, discover hobbies in common, and is a great way to quickly access a neighbors phone numbers (ie escaped pet, household emergencies, babysitting, other issues of concern). And, best of all, these are completely covered by the dues you have already paid.

Ralph Lehmann's mother passed away

Ralph Lehmann's (1213 N.Clinton) mother passed away on July 11, 2008. Her funeral will be at 2pm on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at First Christian Church, Bloomington, IL. Please pass along your condolences to Ralph & Linda when you see them.

Lock your car doors!

FYI, I received an email from Ward 6 Alderman Karen Schmidt advising that several residents in west and central Bloomington have been leaving their cars unlocked. Their cars are being "broken into" and money is being taken.

If you park outside overnight, please LOCK your cars. Also, if you're interested in receiving her periodic emails, please let me know.

Thanks!

Independence Day Block Party

Police boost patrols on Constitution Trail after man exposes himself

Police said Wednesday they have increased bicycle patrols on Constitution Trail after reports of a man exposing himself to at least five women over a three-week period in June.

The most recent incident was June 29, when two women reported separately to police that a white male wearing a hat but no pants exposed himself to them while standing just off the trail near Grandview Drive.

Read the full Pantagraph article

sex offender registry updates

Hey all, I was just browsing this really strange cool website called RottenNeighbor.com and came across the information that 3 sex offenders live within 1/2 mile of Whites Place.

To confirm this, I went to FamilyWatchDog.com and the State of Illinois website. It's good to be aware of this. Two are almost next door to each other on the corners of Emerson and Clinton and the other is behind us on North Linden.

Dave Van Allen for County Board!

Dave Van Allen has announced he is running for McLean County Board. Based upon feedback from his friends and neighbors in District 8, the issues he's most concerned with are:

• Holding the Line on Taxes
• West Bloomington Revitalization
• Establishing a Regional Water Supply

Check out his website for more information at VoteVanAllen.com.

Perennial Plant Exchange?

I was talking to a friend who lives in the Founders' Grove neighborhood who shared that their neighborhood association had a plant exchange this weekend. What a great idea! Do you have exta hostas? Do you need ground cover?

Is anyone interested in participating in something like this?

Private vs. Public?

Cathy, Karen and I were talking today . . .would it be a good idea to make this blog private, so only invited and registered users can see this blog? That might make it easier to communicate (sharing last names, photos/stories of children, etc.)

Feel free to add a reply/comment to this post to share your thoughts. Thanks!

p.s. Don't forget about the Neighborhood Street Sale coming up on June 7th.

Hello Everyone! This is Josh and Joy from #19, we wanted to stop by and say "Hi" and ask you all a question. Does anyone know of any old pictures that include our house? We'd really like to see what the porch originally looked like and what the siding looked like before the aluminum was put up. We're planning on "un-enclosing" the porch back to a traditional open one and stripping off the aluminum siding to go back to wood and we'd like to be true to the original if possible. Thanks!

Need a lift?

Does anyone in the neighborhood need to rent a lift to trim your trees or clean out your gutters?

I've heard a few neighbors -- Bob in #7 was one -- mention that they were thinking about it. If you're interested in going in on a lift rental, add a comment to this post.

Reel mowers

Sally and Karen, if you're wondering where you can get your husbands one of those cool reel lawn mowers, look no further than here. John and Scott will feel so "green" pushing one of these around the yard! Not to mention how fresh the air or how quiet the neighborhood will be when they ditch their loud gas mower!

Annual Meeting

We had our annual meeting tonight at Laura E's house (#59). Laura, thanks for hosting! Thanks to Cathy's leadership, we were able to get the neighborhood's calendar set. This includes dates for our neighborhood street sale and our block party. Check out the calendar for more details.

Welcome!

Welcome to the White's Place blog. Feel free to create posts or add comments to existing posts. If you don't have permission, just send an email to heather(at)gronemeier(dot)com or dva123+wpna(at)gmail(dot)com. We'll get you added!

Feel free to share anything you want, including communications on neighborhood events, safety issues, births, deaths, prayer requests, etc. Have a picture from a neighborhood event you want to share? Add it to the blog!

If you'd prefer having the ability to receive email messages whenever someone posts a message, simply add your email address to the FeedBurner feed on the right side of this page.

Any questions? Feel free to add comments to this post and I'll be sure to reply.

Thanks!